Windblown
by queerfaery
Summary: Emma's used to being alone, she's used to being abandoned, she's used to being hated. What happens when she starts to get to know her arch nemesis? And wants to know more?
1. I See Fire

**I See Fire**

Emma Swan was nothing like her last name implied. Throughout history swans have been known and admired for their elegance, grace, gentle beauty and noble personality. They are seen to sail serenely through life exuding calm and always composed.

Emma lost her cool daily and she was anything but noble whether it was boys, girls or promising to try harder when the next foster family came around. Emma had yet to discover any elegance and grace; it was something that was often taught from mother to daughter - if Emma knew either biological parent then perhaps... As for her beauty, well it wasn't gentle, it was hard-hitting and stunning. Emma knew this and used it to her advantage in every possible way, it felt like it was the only thing she had going for her.

Emma's plan for high school had been to go unnoticed and simply blend in with the ever flowing crowd of people, a task that should have been easy and highly achievable, that was until she met Regina Mills.

Regina Mills is the 'queen bee' and a straight 'A' student with incredible looks. She's feared and adored by everybody except Emma. From the second that their eyes locked in the crowded hallway Emma knew she would never like this girl – she was exactly the kind of person that infuriated Emma.  
Regina Mills was the girl who had everything, the perfect life, a life that Emma had craved, longed, prayed and wished for as long as she could remember. Regina didn't have to earn it; she had had it handed to her on a polished silver platter. Emma had been fighting for any shred of hope for a life that she would love for years. It was cruel and painful.

A cold fire had started burning when Regina and Emma met, a fire that could not be extinguished, especially when fuel was always supplied. Emma was not petty or stupid enough to purposely start arguments with the evil queen but apparently Regina was either petty or stupid, and Emma was pretty sure she wasn't the latter. Emma had already been subjected to constant taunting, crude comments and painful shoves in the corridor but she never retaliated. That would be like signing her death sentence.

Emma did her best to just 'fit in' but she had been recognised as the queen's target and no one should ever associate themselves with the chosen one. They'd be next.

-

After a double lesson of Maths and one of Physics, Emma had been sure her day couldn't get much worse. Then she walked into Business, another lesson she shared with Regina, and realised she couldn't have been more wrong. She reminded herself not to underestimate the scheming of power hungry and obsessed widows with a corrupt sense of humour. Ms. Mills had created wicked and evil in the form of her daughters but she was something else. She put her daughter's form of evil to shame; she is an impure, barbaric, manipulative, sordid villain, rotten to the core.

In pairs they were to research a business within Storybrooke completing a full scale project. Emma felt sick. It was no mistake that she had been paired up with Regina. Ms. Mills knew of the relation between Emma and Regina. Did she not realise that Regina will also suffer the torture of working together? Horror, anger and hatred were currently working Regina's features; honestly she was so much more beautiful when she smiled. That was an occasion so rare that 95% of the school's population, even some of her closest friends, had yet to see it. Emma had been lucky – it had made her realise that even the evil queen was still human.

"This'll only work if you do exactly as I say." Regina stated flatly. "Understood?" Any sign of emotion had been wiped from her features, Emma hated it. It was so unnatural and distressing. To know that Regina purposely hid her feelings made Emma extremely uncomfortable it made her impossible to read and understand. It was one of the reasons Emma hadn't been able to figure out why she had become the queen's target.

She was feeling strangely brave sitting across from Regina finally at the same eye level. "No." Her answer was surprising and unsuspected. Regina was completely taken aback.

"Excuse me?"

"This is a two-person project." Regina simply stared at her dumbfounded; she obviously hadn't expected any retaliation. Emma elaborated. "The idea being that the two people involved work together so that's what we are going to do. And don't even try to argue about this with me, Regina. I'm not one of your subjects you can order around."

Regina frowned belatedly, processing what the blonde had said, the only emotion she had shown since Emma sat down, but by then Emma was out of her seat, her stuff packed and walking away.

"I'll see you in the library after school tomorrow at 4." With a final burst of bravery she turned back

"And don't be late."

Emma was grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland; pride swelling in her chest. She wondered if her parents would be proud of her for standing up to Regina - her smile vanished.

**I hope you enjoyed this beginning and expect to see more soon. Shout out to my fabulous beta JuddGirl5 - she's brilliant. And thanks for reading :)**


	2. Stuck on Your Smile

The day had passed unbearably slow, all Emma wanted was for it to be over. More rumours had spread about her background; they were getting more outrageous yet more painful everyday morphing into disgusting beasts. Emma's courage from yesterday had been destroyed and replaced by an icy fear.

Things could only get worse as far as she was concerned - she had made a terrible mistake ordering the queen around like that. Emma knew just how terrifying Regina could be; she had seen it with her own eyes a dozen times around the school. Every time she had merely thought thank goodness it wasn't her on the receiving end of Regina's wrath. She had felt no sympathy or concern for those who had been but now she could be in their place she regretted ever walking away pretending she had never seen anything. Emma hopelessly wished she had gone to them afterwards and tried to comfort them maybe then she'd of made a friend.

It had only recently begun to dawn on Emma how dreadfully lonely she was. She hadn't bothered to attempt to make any friends or even allies. How could she? Especially when she was likely to move again soon, to a new home, with new people who didn't care about her and never would because she'd be out of their lives soon enough. It was a recurring cycle and one that Emma had gotten used to. She never bothered unpacking her stuff, only the necessary bits. Emma sighed shaking her head in a half-assed attempt to shake them from her mind. She had more pressing things to worry about. Regina.

She was sat inside the library nervously drumming her fingers against the table after arriving 20 minutes early than the agreed time. The more she willed time to speed up, the more it seemed to slow down. 15 minutes later she was lightly banging her head against the wooden desk thinking the world would be great if unicorns-

"What are you doing?" The voice was frosty and stern yet surprisingly vulnerable. Emma noted that the vulnerability reached Regina's eyes but her evil demeanour did not.

"N-Nothing." Emma stumbled out, cursing herself for being so damn nervous. "I was doing nothing."

Regina quirked an eyebrow, a faint glimmer of amusement in her eyes "Really? Not trying to do yourself injury?"

Now it was Emma's turn to be confused. "Why would I try to-"

"Swan I'm well aware of what people think of me. Nobody wants to be around the evil queen, especially you." Regina cut in, placing her bag on the desk and gracefully sitting in the seat across from Emma. They're knees touched for a split second sending a small shiver through Emma's body. What was that?

"You're not that bad." Emma stated looking away; the words had left her mouth before she even knew they were coming way before she could stop herself. Emma didn't quite understand it but Regina had looked pained when she said that. Maybe Regina wasn't as tough as she thought. Was it okay to think that perhaps even the evil queen got lonely?

"What business do you wish to focus our project on?" Regina asked flatly. Plain ignorance! Emma was slightly pissed, she had just bloody complimented the _evil_ queen and Regina had completely ignored it. She could at least say thank you or even dismiss her but ignorance was just wrong. "I was thinking Granny's since it's local and well-loved, it'll be easy to get the information we need from Ruby, pictures are easily obtainable and I doubt Granny will mind."

Emma couldn't look Regina in the eye for fear of shouting at her. She didn't understand why it upset her so much – everything Regina related just seemed to really bother her. "Sure."

"That wasn't very convincing."

"Sorry." Emma murmured.

"What happened to the spirit you had yesterday about working as a team?" Regina only seemed amused but Emma just felt tired.

"It was blown up by dark magic." Emma deadpanned, wondering if Regina would catch on.

Ow! Regina had flicked Emma's forehead. "Sorry to disappoint Swan but I have no magic. We should reschedule. You're obviously not in the right frame of mind."

Emma was rubbing at her forehead trying to soothe the pain– Regina had sharp nails. "You piss me off." Oops, Emma hadn't meant for that to slip out, she had just been thinking it. "Sorry, I didn't mean…well I did but gaaah."

Emma put her face in her hands; she was tempted to resume banging it against the table. But to her surprise Regina was laughing? What? Emma was pretty sure this had _never_ happened before and she had no idea to respond so she simply waited. Her laugh was silky smooth, enticing and genuine, if you'd just met this person you'd have no idea she could be so sinister. "I have laughed before Swan. You needn't look so shocked."

"Can you blame me?" Emma retorted. Maybe Regina wasn't so bad.

"I wasn't always evil." Emma put on a face of mock horror and shock causing Regina to stifle another laugh. "It's true."

"I know." Emma was smiling now - proud of herself. She may have just managed the impossible. Regina was so damn gorgeous when she smiled. Her smile was evaporating Emma's nerves and fears…she felt safe. It was a feeling Emma hadn't felt in a long time. She didn't feel so lonely and she didn't want to let go of this feeling.

"You know?"

"If you had always been evil you wouldn't be able to smile like that or laugh wholeheartedly right?" Or be so broken Emma thought but didn't dare speak aloud.

**So that's the second chapter, what do you think? Thank you again to my beta JuddGirl5 and check out some of her stories - they are brill. Sorry for anything OOC, any advice would be much appreciated. I hope you enjoyed this second installment, stay tuned for more  
**


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